Nobody here has acknowledge the victim of this hate, even if it was out of school, out of school hours, that person still goes to the same school with the same people who were invoking hate towards them!
Its in the schools interest for the safety of their enrolled pupils to take the actions that they have taken. Even those people who viewed could still perpretrate bullying towards that individual during or not during school hours, if they havent before, might do later on because of what they saw.
Things like this can make a pupil's life hell at school, people that they have never had anything to do with people, might see that and start to become involved with that pupil in very negative ways! And this will affect the pupil academically. This could also potentially lead to a lot worse. May seem unlikely but just look at the number of high school shootings in the USA? and in the UK, how many violent attacks has there been? This is nothing like reading a book which is deemed offensive as that is not harming anyone. Inciting hate towards another person is. This isnt just a myspace page, this was a page that discriminated against a person at school. Would you say a piece of paper with the same content, was just a bit of paper? or a malicious phone call, was just a phonecall?
Its another form of bullying and has everything to do with the school as everyone involved is from that school, regardless of the time and location. If this was reported in the news and the school was doing nothing, then the school has failed and failed for the pupil and the system has failed and failed for the pupil!!!
Schools suspending pupils for matters which seem trivial are important for the integrity for the school! they have to maintain rules and regulations and a reputation. Remember, a school is a collective of teachers and anything bad will be seen as a reflection on them.